2008 Schloss Lieser Niederberg-Helden Riesling Auslese

The Schloss Lieser 2008 Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Auslese smells slightly sweet-sour in its evocation of brown-spiced, pickled melon rind, along with apricot preserves, crystallized ginger, and pink grapefruit marmalade (whether or not such a thing actually exists – but if it doesn’t, it should!). Caramel and nut paste combine with the pungent array of fruit flavors adumbrated in the nose for a palate impression of enormous richness yet refreshment and lift. Thomas Haag claims that here, too, there was almost no botrytis, though heaven knows there is an extent of ripeness one seldom witnesses without assistance from noble rot. This should make for a 30 year keeper, though if – like me – you prefer to drink such wines once the sweetness has significantly backed off, you have a long wait in store. “A danger in so many recent vintages”, says Thomas Haag, “was that growers told themselves ‘I need a Kabinett; I have to have Kabinett; I must pick sooner!’” whereas this year, Kabinett was assured, even assuming you waited long enough to do justice to vintage potential. Haag is one of numerous growers who subscribe to the notion that (in his words) “the mix of weather in 2008 was ideal, guaranteeing permanently adequate humidity of the soil, so that mineral matter was released and could be taken up into the vines, as you can plainly taste.” And given his penchant for finesse, clarity, and delicacy, as well as for high residual sugar that demands efficacious acids to balance, it’s not surprising Thomas Haag has a high opinion of 2008. Indeed, his collection is among the vintage’s best. Haag essayed some selective picking for Beerenauslese, but like many growers decided that what he had collected was better declassified, especially in view of how spoiled we have been by botrytis in recent years and how tough are the present economic circumstances. Due to time constraints and the unusually extensive range of nobly sweet wines here, Haag and I did not take time to taste his two trocken offerings, whose absence from the U.S. market made it subsequently impossible for me to corral. Importer: Rudi Wiest, Cellars International, Carlsbad, CA; tel. 800 596 9463